Since its transformation from a reality TV show to a separate brand, NXT has been the highlight of WWE. The brand is meant to develop talent for the main roster but it’s sadly clear how many NXT stars suffer on RAW and SmackDown. The actual brand remains amazing in how the weekly shows offer top-notch action and great storylines backed by major talents. The biggest events are the TakeOver specials which often steal the show from the major WWE PPVs. Indeed, on some WrestleMania weekends, it’s the TakeOver that gets fans talking more.
Usually, one does a list of WWE shows as “best and worst” but that doesn’t work here for one simple reason: There has yet to be a bad TakeOver. Even the lower ones can have one or two amazing matches that would blow away anything the main WWE shows can offer. Some shows are absolute classics and even a “forgettable” TakeOver still has stuff to remember. Instead, here are the 5 best and 5 poorest (not worst, just not as awesome) TakeOvers as a reminder why these shows shine so brilliantly for WWE.
10 POOREST: Unstoppable
This match is best known for the Women’s title bout where Becky Lynch debuted her orange hair steampunk look and impressed in a losing effort against Sasha Banks. Aside from that, there’s not much to remember. Several matches were very short like the tag title match of Revival vs Enzo and Cass which showed the latter were better talkers than workers. Finn Balor had a good match with Tyler Breeze but that was it.
The main event was a serious letdown as an injured Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens fought to a no-contest that left the audience wanting so much more even after the debut of Samoa Joe. NXT would recover from that but it showed why the early TakeOvers are among the poorest.
9 BEST: Brooklyn I
In terms of importance, this was one of the biggest NXT shows ever. It was the first to take place outside of Full Sail and the 15,000-plus crowd proved NXT could be great outside Orlando. Jushin Liger showed he’s still one of the greatest taking on Tyler Breeze while the Vaudevillians won the tag titles off of Blake and Murphy. Samoa Joe and Baron Corbin had a hard bout while the main event was a fantastic ladder match between Finn Balor and Kevin Owens for the NXT title.
The standout was Bayley winning the Women’s title off of Sasha Banks in what would be a serious MOTY candidate. That, combined with the setting, makes this a classic TakeOver.
8 POOREST: Respect
The problem with this show was that after the fantastic Brooklyn, they were right back at Full Sail so the crowd felt smaller for a big event. The show was dominated by the first Dusty Rhodes Classic tag team tournament and while the matches were fair, they didn’t feel as spectacular as they could have with Samoa Joe and Finn Balor winning it.
The Apollo Crews-Tyler Breeze and Asuka-Dana Brooke matches were short. The 30 minute “Iron Woman” match between Bayley and Sasha Banks was good but lacked the fire of their Brooklyn battle. A great main event but overall not the strongest TakeOver.
7 BEST: Phoenix
NXT was rolling high in 2018 and continued that momentum with the first TakeOver of 2019. The War Raiders crushed the Undisputed Era to win the tag team titles in a hard battle. Bianca Belair proved herself in a fine Women’s title match against Shayna Baszler. What got attention was how the two former members of DIY dominated the show.
Johnny Gargano won the North American title off of Ricochet in a brilliant battle with both men pulling off moves that had the crowd gasping. The main event saw Tommaso Ciampa beating Alister Black in a brutal main event for the NXT title. Fittingly, the show ended with Ciampa and Gargano standing together with titles raised to show themselves as the future of the company.
6 POOREST: TakeOver
It’s historic as the very first of the events but it also shows just how raw NXT was in 2014. Adam Rose and Comacho was short as was the tag title match. Tyler Breeze vs Sami Zayn was good but Breeze going over was the wrong call. Charlotte and Natalya had a good battle for the Women’s title but it felt a bit long.
The main event had Neville retaining the NXT title over Tyson Kidd in a good match but hardly the stellar main event TakeOvers would become famous for. It’s amazing how the show became such a hit when the inaugural one was rather weak.
5 BEST: War Games II
All the WarGames TakeOvers have been great but this was the best. While just ten minutes long, Shayna Baszler and Kari Sane had a thrilling match for the Women’s title. Alister Black and Johnny Gargano had a stiff but exciting brawl to push both up more. Velveteen Dream proved himself as a true star by engaging Tommaso Ciampa in an amazing battle for the NXT title.
The main event was a brilliantly booked WarGames match as the Undisputed Era faced Ricochet, Pete Dunne and the War Raiders in an incredible war that had the crowd thrilled. This year came close but this remains the best NXT WarGames yet.
4 POOREST: San Antonio
Another case of a main event that was very good but not enough to totally salvage a weak card. Roderick Strong and Cien Almas suffered for the storyline of Almas looking like a loser while Eric Young and Tye Dillinger was filler. The Authors of Pain winning the tag titles from DIY was okay while the four-way Women’s title match was too short.
Bobby Roode winning the NXT title from Shinsuke Nakamura was terrific but felt lacking given they’d have much better matches. Overall, it was just a weak show despite the star power as even a Seth Rollins appearance didn't stand out.
3 BEST: New York
This was a fantastic case of NXT stealing the show on WrestleMania weekend. First, Ricochet and Alister Black tore down the house against the War Raiders in a thrilling tag match. Velveteen Dream and Matt Riddle engaged in a terrific battle of dueling high spots and thrills. The four-way women’s battle was a terrific conflict with all the ladies cutting loose. Walter ended Pete Dunne’s U.K. title reign in a technical, hard-hitting masterpiece.
The main event was the topper as, at long last, Johnny Gargano won the NXT title in a stunning 2-out-of-3 falls war with Adam Cole. An amazing showcase of how great NXT can be.
2 POOREST: Fatal 4-Way
Calling a show the “poorest TakeOver” is like calling a car the “worst Ferrari,” yet this qualifies. Aside from the main event, only one match (Charlotte vs Bayley for the Women’s title) lasted ten minutes, so it was a short show. It had good bits like the Lucha Dragons ending the Ascension’s long reign as tag team champions but Baron Corbin beat CJ Parker in 30 seconds.
The main event was a great battle of Neville, Tyson Kid, Sami Zayn and Tyler Breeze for the NXT title. But compared to the types of shows they’d later do, this just feels like a forgettable SmackDown than a major event.
1 BEST: New Orleans
This is the only show in WWE history to have two matches rated five-star by the Wrestling Observer. It kicked off in terrific fashion with Adam Cole outlasting five other men in one of the wildest ladder matches ever seen to become the inaugural North American champion. Shayna Baszler began her road to dominance by defeating Ember Moon for the Women’s title while Alister Black won the NXT title off of Cien Almas.
The triple threat tag team match was highlighted by Roderick Strong turning on Pete Dunne to join the Undisputed Era. The grand finale was the epic war between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa hailed as one of the greatest matches in NXT history. It was a stunning event that still dominates all other TakeOvers.